The effects of subject-selected high carbohydrate, low fat diets on glycemic control in insulin dependent diabetes mellitus

Abstract

In the present study, six women with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) were assigned to begin either a control diet containing 45% of the calories as carbohydrate, 40% fat, and 15% protein for four weeks, or a high carbohydrate, low fat diet with 65% carbohydrate, 20% fat, and 15% protein for six weeks. All subjects completed both periods in a cross-over experimental design. Individual menus varied, and were subject-selected from a calculated exchange list consisting of conventional food items. Subjects selected an equal distribution of carbohydrate from simple and complex sources during both dietary periods, and dietary fiber intake was only modestly greater during the high carbohydrate diet (50 g) than in the control diet period (28 g). No significant changes occurred in any measures of glycemic control between the control and high carbohydrates diets; fasting serum glucose 215 vs 213 mg/100 ml; preprandial serum glucose 214 vs 200 mg/100 ml; 24 hour urine glucose 36 vs 31 g/day; and glycosylated hemoglobin 10.3 vs 10.5% Hb A1, respectively. Similarly, insulin dose was unchanged during the control (38 IU/day) and experimental (38 IU/day) periods. These findings indicate that the application of present dietary recommendations to persons with IDDM in a realistic clinical setting led to neither an improvement nor a deterioration of glycemic control.